AHL Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins

Pens Return Home With Four Game Winning Streak

Published on March 11, 2008 under American Hockey League (AHL)
Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins News Release


The Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins (36-24-0-3, 75 points, third in East Division) will get a small dose of home cooking this week, when they take on the Norfolk Admirals (23-34-2-5, 53 points, seventh place in the East Division) at Wachovia Arena at Casey Plaza on Wednesday night. Game time for the home tilt is 7:05pm.

The Pens will don their traditional St. Patrick's sweaters for the contest against the Admirals, which will be auctioned off at the game.

Additionally, fans will be able to pick up Pot O' Gold Pucks at the Wednesday night affair. The 500 special St. Patrick's themed pucks each feature the autograph of a Penguins player, and can be picked up for a $10 donation to the Penguins Tickets for Tots program. The catch is the pucks will be sealed, meaning fans will not know whose autograph they will receive. And to add even more suspense, each player on the team's current roster has signed one puck in gold, and the lucky fans who receive those 20 pucks will also receive an autographed stick from that player.

The Penguins return to town carrying a four-game winning streak - with all four of those wins coming on the road (March 2 @ Binghamton, 4-2; March 4 @ Philadelphia, 3-2; March 7 @ Lake Erie, 6-3; March 8 @ Syracuse, 2-1). That string of wins has allowed Wilkes-Barre/Scranton to move back into third place in the East Division standings, three points ahead of the Hershey Bears (75 to 72) with one game in hand. The Penguins trail second place Albany by three points, but have played three fewer games than the River Rats.

The stop in town will be a brief one, however, as the Penguins head to Bridgeport (33-27-1-2, 69 points, fifth in East Division), Albany (37-25-1-3, 78 points, second in East Division) and Providence (44-15-3-2, 93 points, first in Atlantic Division) this coming weekend.

The good news is that the team will play 10 of its final 13 games at home between March 19 and April 12.

JAMES, STONE RECALLED BY PITTSBURGH

The Pittsburgh Penguins have recalled forwards Connor James and Ryan Stone from Wilkes-Barre/Scranton on an emergency basis, it was announced today by Executive Vice President/General Manager Ray Shero.

James enters his fifth stint this season and has played eight games over four previous recalls with Pittsburgh. He was recalled on February 26th vs. the New York Islanders and recorded his first NHL goal. He made his Penguins debut on December 15th vs. the New York Islanders during his first recall to Pittsburgh. James has registered 32 points (eight goals, 24 assists) in 53 games with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton this season. He is currently tied for third on the team in assists (24). James was originally signed by the Penguins as a free agent on August 9th, 2006. He made his NHL debut during the 2005-06 season playing two games with the Los Angeles Kings.

Stone enters his third stint this season and has played five games over two prior recalls with the Penguins. He played one game after being recalled on February 4th. He was first recalled on January 7th and played four games for the club before being reassigned to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton on January 25th. Stone made his NHL debut on January 10th vs. Tampa Bay. He has 30 points (10 goals, 20 assists) in 52 games for Wilkes-Barre/Scranton this season. Stone was originally selected by the Penguins in the second round (32nd overall) in the 2003 NHL Draft.

BONVIE TO APPEAR ON 'STATE OF PENNSYLVANIA' ON THURSDAY, MARCH 20

Dennis Bonvie will be the special guest on 'State of Pennsylvania,' on Thursday, March 20 at 7:00pm.

The one-on-one conversation between Bonvie and host Suzanne Kelly will cover the right wing's career with the Penguins, his relationship with the Northeast Pennsylvania community and his most memorable moments as a professional hockey player, among other topics.

Fans can attend the live broadcast by reserving a spot at the WVIA High Definition Theater in Pittston. Seats are on a first come, first served basis. To reserve a seat, RSVP to WVIA by Tuesday, March 18 by calling the studio at 570-602-1150, or by dropping an email to kathryndavies@wvia.org. Please specify your named, address, phone number and the number of seats requested.

PENGUINS POINTS OF INTEREST

DENNIS BONVIE moved into sole possession of fourth place on the Penguins' all-time games played list on Friday, March 7, when he appeared in his 272nd contest with the team. Bonvie had been tied with Ross Lupaschuk for fourth place.

Bonvie ranked 17th on the AHL's all-time games played list with 858 games played after the Penguins' 2-1 shootout win in Syracuse on March 8. He sat one game behind Andy Branigan for 16th place on the league list prior to the team's March 12th game against the Norfolk Admirals.

JONATHAN FILEWICH recorded his 61st goal as a member of the Penguins on March 8th against the Syracuse Crunch, moving him into a tie for sixth place on the team's all-time list with Eric Meloche. Filewich ranked 12th on the team's all-time points list as of March 10 with 114, two behind Ross Lupaschuk.

RYAN LANNON appeared in his 200th game with the Penguins on March 8 in Syracuse. Lannon is sixth among Penguins defensemen in games played all-time (Rob Scuderi - 305; Ross Lupaschuk - 271; Brendan Buckley - 268; Chris Kelleher - 250; Alain Nasreddine - 232)

ALAIN NASREDDINE recorded an assist in the Penguins' 6-3 win against the Lake Erie Monsters on March 7, giving him 53 points as a member of the team. That moved him into sole possession of eight place among Penguins blueliners in points, one better than Andrew Ference.

JOHN CURRY picked up his 16th win as a member of the Penguins on March 8 at Syracuse, moving him into ninth place on the team's all-time list. He sits one win behind Rich Parent for eighth place, and two wins behind Andrew Penner for seventh.

Curry also has the best shootout save percentage in team history, after he snuffed four of five Syracuse shots on March 8. In four shootouts, Curry has a record of 2-2, but has saved 19 of 24 shots for a .792 save percentage.

POT O' GOLD PUCKS AT MARCH 12 GAME

Fans attending the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins home game on March 12 against the Norfolk Admirals will have the chance to bring home a Penguins autograph, while doing some good for the community. For a $10 donation, fans can get their hands on a Pot O' Gold Puck during the game against the Admirals. These special St. Patrick's Day themed pucks will feature an autograph from a current member of the Penguins roster. Each player will sign approximately 25 pucks prior to the game.

However, each puck will come securely wrapped, meaning fans won't know whose autograph they will be getting until they tear into their small, green treasures.

Additionally, each player will sign one puck with a gold marker. The fan who receives that special puck will get a game-used stick from that player, in addition to getting to keep their Pot O' Gold Puck.

All proceeds from the donations for Pot O' Gold Pucks will benefit the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins and United Way Charity Fund, which provides funds to local organizations in need throughout Northeastern Pennsylvania.

BONVIE DVD GIVEAWAY ADDED TO PROMO SCHEDULE

Don't miss Dennis Bonvie's last stand on April 12th, as the Penguins battle the Norfolk Admirals at the Wachovia Arena at Casey Plaza. The Pens have added a special limited edition Bonvie DVD giveaway for the first 6,000 fans through the gates that night.

The 55 minute DVD looks back on Bonvie's career with the Penguins, and features interviews with some of the players who know him best. Additionally, the special giveaway features archive footage of some of Dennis' biggest moments in the AHL and NHL, as well as plenty of his best scraps while wearing a Penguins uniform - and one memorable tussle as a member of the Hershey Bears as well!

Now through March 27th, season ticket holders can exclusively purchase additional seats for the game through the Pens offices by contacting your account executive. All remaining seats will be released to the general public on March 28th, or can be purchased now through the Drive for the Cup ticket plan. Call 208-PENS for more information.

Drive To The Cup Plan

The AHL season isn't even half way over, but it's never too early to start thinking about the playoffs! With that in mind, the we have put together a ticket plan that is sure to make keep any Calder Cup dreamer happy - the Drive to the Cup Plan.

Here's how it works: you get tickets to any three remaining regular season games (YOUR choice), PLUS grab a seat for either of the Pens' first two home playoff contests (once again, YOUR choice). Should the Penguins not qualify for the postseason (bite your tongue!), you'll get a seat to the 2008-09 home opener at the Wachovia Arena at Casey Plaza.

Plus, everyone purchasing a Drive to the Cup plan will get a stick signed by the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins player of his or her choice (one stick per package purchased).

Call the Penguins at 208-7367 for more information.

Subway Friday Family Nights - All Friday home games

Looking to keep your love of hockey and appetite in check this season? Purchase four or more tickets to any Friday night Penguins home game (tickets start at just $14.75) and get vouchers for free Subway Fresh Fit Meals. Each Friday night one lucky Subway family will win a Pens gift and a free sub platter from Subway. Call the Pens at 208-PENS for more details!

AAA Discount - All Friday home games

AAA Members can purchase tickets for any Friday night game throughout the season at a special price! Tickets start at just $15.50 each and can be purchased at the Pens Team Store in the Waterfront Complex location! Just show your AAA card and get your discount - no minimums to buy.

Check out the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins Statistics

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American Hockey League Stories from March 11, 2008


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